Growing up, boxing was one of the premier sports in the world. And the reason, Muhammad Ali, the three-time heavyweight champion who died Friday after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Ali was a global figure, a charismatic celebrity, a political and social leader, on the short list of greatest athletes of the past century and, finally, a cultural icon. Everyone had an opinion about him one way or another.

I believe him to be the most significant sports figure of my lifetime, which began in 1959. His influence on politics and American life made it so. He commanded attention. He defined the moment too many times to count. And when he had to give up something to make a point, he did.

Boxing is no longer a premier sport. It’s one so bogged down in its own corruption, poor decisions and sordid characters it’s pretty much gone by the wayside. Several factors play into this. The rise and fall of Mike Tyson, the feared heavyweight of the late 1980s and early 1990s is one reason. But by cruel irony, Ali is also a factor. His malady is often attributed to the blows he took in the ring — his ability to take a punch was legendary — and is one reason I suspect that young Americans who might try boxing are now hesitant to pursue it. Too risky.

Here are some cartoons from our syndicate sources looking at the death of Muhammad Ali.

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